VietNamNet Bridge – Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has approved a 10-year national power development plan that targets production and import of 330 billion KWh by 2020.

Under the 2011-20 plan, 3 per cent of this total will be imported. The remaining 97 per cent will comprise 19.6 per cent of hydropower, 46.8 per cent of thermal power, 24 per cent of gas-generated power, 4.5 per cent of renewable energy, and 2.1 per cent of nuclear power.

The competitive power market will be developed with various forms of investment in building power plants and trading of electricity. The monopolised State control of the transmission line system remains to ensure the national energy security.

Priority will be given to developing renewable energy sources including solar and wind power as well as energy production from biomass. The plan envisages electricity production from renewable sources to increase from 3.5 per cent in 2010 to 4.5 per cent in 2020 and 6 per cent in 2030.

Wind power capacity will be raised to 1,000MW in 2020 and around 6,200MW in 2030, equivalent to 0.7 per cent of the country's total output in 2020 and to 2.4 per cent in 2030.

Hydropower generation will be increased from the current 9,200MW to 17,400MW in 2020.

By 2020, the first nuclear power plant in Viet Nam will be put into operation and in 10 years, the sector will produce a total of 10,700MW, equivalent to 10.1 per cent of the country's total output.

The plan also aims to supply electricity to all families in the country's rural areas by 2020.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News